Otitis media with effusion and hearing outcomes - Myringotomy vs myringotomy and tympanostomy: A comparative study

BACKGROUND Otitis media with effusion (OME), glue ear, serous otitis media, or secretory otitis media is a common paediatric condition. Two widely used surgical interventions for OME are myringotomy alone and myringotomy with tympanostomy tube. While both procedures aim to improve hearing outcomes, the efficacy of these approaches has been a subject of ongoing research and debate. AIM To compare the efficacy of myringotomy alone and myringotomy with tympanostomy tube. METHODS In this comparative study, 66 patients diagnosed as OME meeting the inclusion criteria were selected via ear, nose and throat department. They were divided into two groups randomly, each of 33 patients. In the first group (Group A) myringotomy alone was performed while in the second group (Group B) myringotomy with tympanostomy tube placement was performed. We observed hearing outcome by pure tone audiogram (PTA) pre operatively. Patients were followed up and re-assessed in outdoor patient department at 4th week postoperatively again by PTA. RESULTS The mean age of the patients in Group A was 10.96 ± 2.76 SD but the mean age of the patients in Group B was 10.22 ± 2.73 SD (P = 0.1056). In Group A, males were 63.6% and females were 36.3%. Also in Group B, males were 63.6% and females were 36.3% (P = 1.0). In group A, post operative hearing gain using pure tone audiometry at one month was 20.45 ± 3.78 SD while in group B, post operative hearing gain using pure tone audiometry at one month was 23.84 ± 3.69 SD (P = 0.00005). However, ear discharge was noted in 3.03% cases in group A and 15.15% cases in group B (P = 0.035). By applying independent t -test, the P < 0.05 indicated that there is a significant association between Group B and hearing improvement at 4th week. CONCLUSION Our study concluded that myringotomy with tympanostomy tube seems to have better hearing results than myringotomy alone in treatment of OME.